The Adventurers’ Guild was a place that could easily be called prestigious within the city. Even before they fully arrived, they could already see many registered adventurers moving back and forth along the roadside near the guild.

  There were groups of four moving together, some carrying great swords, others holding bows, and there was even a mage among them. There were also several individuals who all seemed to wield swords, walking away together from the front entrance.

  A towering structure came into view. It rose like a tower, possibly around twenty or thirty floors high. Many sections of its walls were made of glass. Still, its mostly white color and highly polished appearance made it stand out clearly from the other buildings and structures nearby.

  They walked into the open courtyard area, where registered adventurers could be seen sitting on benches, chatting with one another. Some were standing near their carriages, looking as if they were about to depart on an expedition, though no one could tell where they were headed.

  “Those adventurers’ outfits really stand out,” Hugo said.

  Krovane followed Hugo’s gaze and understood what he meant. Most of the adventurers were wearing full sets of armor. Even those without complete sets still wore protective gear on their bodies, covering important areas such as their chest and arms.

  Emily then spoke up. “Fighting higher stage monsters naturally requires better protection. Better weapons too. That is only normal. As for us, since we are still Mana Novices, the missions available to us will not demand preparation at that level.”

  “Can we also get monster hunting missions as novices, Emily?” Krovane asked.

  “Yes, but they will be low stage ones. Like the windtails you encountered when you first arrived.”

  “Windtail?” Krovane repeated softly.

  It was the first monster he had ever encountered in this world.

  The three of them kept walking until they entered the inside of the building, where they saw even more people gathered around. Some of them were standing near something that looked like a notice board.

  Emily said, “That is the mission board. This is where adventurers choose their missions.”

  “Adventurers who do not yet have a fixed squad usually try to mix and match for their next mission.”

  “Tell me about what you mean by a complete squad, Emily,” Krovane followed up.

  Emily glanced back occasionally while continuing to walk, not stopping her explanation.

  “Mostly, a complete squad needs a defender. This is the most important role. Someone with strong defense, designed to take most of the damage from monsters. Their job is to draw the enemy’s attention, charge at the front, and keep the monsters under control so their teammates can attack safely.”

  Krovane nodded as he listened. Then Hugo suddenly spoke up. “That is my role. I will control the frontline with my great sword,” he said proudly.

  Krovane nodded again, because from the very beginning, Hugo’s Signature Ability really did seem designed for him to become a frontline fighter.

  Emily then continued. “Next is the striker. This role supports the main defender on the frontline. While still able to take hits, a striker focuses more on dealing damage, since the defender usually prioritizes defense over attack.”

  She went on. “Then you also need ranged fighters, such as those who use bows. On top of that, there are magic casters, who rely on magic to deal area damage. These roles are usually quite vulnerable because they have lower defense and less mobility compared to close combat fighters.”

  “What about healers, Emily?” Krovane asked.

  “Specialist healers are highly sought after, but not many adventurers have that role,” Emily replied. “Because of that, most magic casters learn at least some healing skills to support the team. Healing can also be handled with healing potions, though relying on them too much is not a good idea.”

  Krovane nodded again. Even though he had not seen healing potions in action himself, he understood the basic idea well enough.

  “One more important role is the scout,” Emily added. “This role usually goes to someone with high mobility, or skills that allow them to act as the team’s eyes. Beast masters or archers often fit this role as well. Basically, anyone who can help the team find routes when they get lost or gather information ahead.”

  They continued walking toward the central area, where the reception desk should be, while Emily kept explaining, occasionally glancing back at them as she spoke.

  “So normally, one squad needs five members to be considered complete and able to cover all the required roles.”

  Defender, striker, ranged fighter, caster, and one flexible support role. That last position could be a healer or an additional damage dealer. A scout was still essential, though this role could be filled flexibly depending on which position was available.

  Krovane looked at the three of them. If Hugo could act as the defender, then Krovane himself might fit the role of a striker. Emily, meanwhile, would naturally become the magic caster.

  They would still need additional roles, such as a ranged fighter like an archer. Perhaps they would also need another frontline type, such as a fast fighter who used daggers, often called a rogue. On top of that, a dedicated scout was still missing.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  If necessary, they would probably do what many others did, mixing and matching with other teams to fill the roles needed for future expeditions.

  Eventually, they stopped in front of a counter. Behind it stood a man with neatly combed black hair, wearing glasses and a clean white shirt. His face looked stiff and flat, almost completely unreadable.

  “What do you need, kids?” said the man, who appeared to be in his early thirties.

  Emily, who was standing at the front, immediately took care of everything. She took out several coins and placed them on the counter.

  “Registration fee for three Novices,” she said casually.

  The man scanned the three of them from behind his glasses, then spoke again. “Age?”

  “Twelve.”

  “Level?”

  Emily continued, pointing at them one by one. “Nine, seven, six.”

  The man fell silent for a moment, then looked at them again, his gaze stopping on Emily. “Level nine?”

  “We will follow all required procedures, test our mana cores, and take the battle test,” Emily said. “We are prepared to do everything.”

  The man responded without hesitation. “If you do not meet what you claim, the registration fee will not be returned. You will also be banned for two years for wasting our time.”

  “We understand the risks,” Emily replied. “We do not intend to waste anyone’s time, so let us proceed as soon as possible.”

  Krovane swallowed as he watched how Emily handled the conversation. If one had to say who between Hugo and Emily was more outspoken, the two of them could probably compete evenly.

  The difference was that one spoke with their head, while the other spoke without using it at all.

  The registration process continued with their names being recorded. They simply entered their preferred names.

  After that, they were led into a room where they waited for a short while.

  Some time later, another man wearing similar attire arrived, carrying a tray. On it rested a white sphere, placed neatly on a clean cloth, and he set it down on the table.

  “You already know how to control mana, right?” the man said.

  Emily immediately stepped forward and placed both her hands on the sphere. “I have never heard of someone reaching level nine just by relaxing and lying around,” she said with a hint of sarcasm.

  There was no visible reaction from the sphere. The response came from the mana particles inside it, which novices usually struggled to see. Still, the man nodded after Emily finished.

  Next, Hugo did the same. Then it was Krovane’s turn. He stepped forward and placed both of his hands on the glass sphere.

  Krovane did what he usually did, controlling the mana around him and guiding it toward his palms. It was a simple action, just enough to trigger mana flow.

  “You said you are level six?” the man asked.

  Krovane glanced at him and nodded once. “Yes, sir.”

  The man went quiet, then nodded as well. He wrote something down before handing them three sheets of paper.

  “Your test will be held this afternoon. You will be asked to defeat one monster, up to level ten. The type of monster will be adjusted according to the role you prefer.”

  Emily quickly took the three sheets of paper and turned away without responding.

  At least they were not thrown out for lying about their levels. That alone was already a relief.

  **

  Hugo and Emily sat side by side on a row of wooden seats. The room itself was open and spacious. More rows of seats rose higher around the area, while at the center there was a circular open space, like an arena, with several doors positioned at different points along its edge.

  This was the testing arena, a place where applicants took their practical exams. From those doors, the monsters used for the trials would be released.

  Standing alone in the center was a twelve year old boy with black, slightly messy hair. It was Krovane. He would be taking the test.

  The two of them sat there, with Emily crossing her legs, her tense expression something she could not fully hide. Hugo, on the other hand, looked irritated, clearly upset that he did not get the first turn.

  “No matter what happens, I will beat Krovane’s record time,” he said.

  “Being able to defeat the monster at all would already be lucky, so focus on finishing the test instead of competing with each other,” Emily replied.

  Hugo turned to her, his face filled with stubborn determination. “Emily, you will never understand the competitive spirit of men. Through competition and proving ourselves, we continue to grow and become stronger.”

  “Yes, and right now it would be better if you stayed quiet and watched how Krovane handles this challenge,” Emily said flatly.

  Then, at that moment, they heard a conversation coming from a group sitting not far to their right.

  “That skinny little kid, something is wrong with his head,” said a man who looked to be in his early twenties.

  “Yeah. Did no one tell him this is not something to take lightly? If he makes one mistake, he could get seriously hurt, or maybe even die.”

  “Well, the examiners will not let him die. At least that is guaranteed.”

  “But this kid really seems to think this is all a joke,” another person added.

  At that moment, Emily tried to grab Hugo’s arm, but the boy had already stood up and walked firmly toward the three men.

  “Ah, I am not getting involved,” she said afterward.

  Hugo stood there straight and firm as the three men turned their heads toward him.

  “You should apologize right now, or I will make sure you regret those words after you see what my friend down there is about to do,” Hugo snapped. “Laugh all you want now, but do not cry later when you realize how wrong you are.”

  The three men went quiet for a moment, clearly surprised. Then they burst out laughing.

  “Oh, so these three kids are in the same group?” one of them said.

  “That little girl is also taking the test? This is really, really funny.”

  “Yeah, maybe they are dreaming of becoming the number one squad in Solmire.”

  “Or trying to earn some amazing contribution so they can enter a prestigious academy in the city. That is hilarious.”

  “That is exactly what we are going to achieve. Do you have a problem with that?” Hugo shot back.

  “Kid, go back to your seat and stop embarrassing yourself,” another added lazily.

  Hugo stepped forward. “The three of you would not win against us even in a fair fight, so keep your mouths closed and watch carefully.”

  The three men only laughed harder, clearly not taking him seriously at all.

  Then, at that moment, a clear signal rang out, announcing that Krovane was ready to begin his test.

  Hugo pointed at them again, his eyes burning with confidence. “Watch carefully. When this is over, you will not have a single word left to say.”